Salade Niçoise. Well, a kind of …

Salade Niçoise… From Nice, the “capital” of French Riviera. A very tasty salad, fresh and well balanced. Ingredients ? I like how chef Francois de Melogue sees it :) … According to him the purists will not allow vinegar, lettuce, tuna, boiled tomatoes or green beans. But the good news is that the rest are free to express themselves :). According to him this salad originates from late 1800’s having as main ingredients tomatoes and anchovies (as they were more affordable than tuna). You can read the whole story here : https://www.simplefrenchcooking.com/recipe-entry/salade-nicoise.

Again, if you want something authentic, Anina Belle Giannini, Le Chef's Wife, will “give” you some beautiful explanations and her recipe for Salade Niçoise. If you like the topic and you like to know more about French Riviera recipes, I suggest visit her blog: https://lechefswife.com/french-salade-nicoise-recipe/

Long story short, for a close to original salad, starting with: tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, radishes, capers, olives and artichoke, will put you on the right direction. Then: lettuce, fresh cucumbers, boiled potatoes, boiled green beans, chopped parsley leaves, a touch of fresh basil, pine seeds or a t spoon of fresh pesto… it’s up to you.

I found some tasty November late tomatoes in the local market and that was my starting point. If you want to see my version continue reading :). I choose a lighter, low carb version, dressed with olive oil, squeezed lemons and some drops of Modena Balsamic Vinegar :)…

The salad

Prepare the dressing by mixing well all ingredients in a cup or a small jar. If you prepare a larger quantity, or you want to make it in advance note that you can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days.

My ingredients: Tomatoes, lettuce, tuna, radishes, green peppers, eggs, basil leaves, capers, olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Did I forget to mention something ? Hope not :)

Let’s start:

Boil the egg(s) for about 7-8 minutes or so, you want them hard boiled but a bit creamy inside.

On a large plate add the lettuce, the sliced tomatoes, radishes and green pepper and the tuna in big chunks. I added a dust of salt at this point. Cut the egg in four, and place it on the top together with the capers and teared basil leaves. Finally, with a spoon, gently pour the dressing even all over the salad. Some extra drops of olive oil and balsamic vinegar will make the difference :). I prefer to mix the salad as I eat it, to keep it’s looks attractive, but feel free to do it your way. Enjoy !